Fluid system



G. G. EARL FLUID SYSTEM March 12, 1929.

Original Filed July 20. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet W ,1 I! I) zsa ass,

ZGI

INVENTOR.

Hls ATTORNEY March 12, 1929.

G. G.'ARL

FLUID SYSTEM Original Filed July 20. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H ISA TTORNEYS PatentedMar. 12, 1929. y I

[ UNITED STATES GEORGE G. EARL, on NEW onLEANs LoUIsIAnA.

FLUID SYSTEM.

Original application filed .Tuly 20, 1922, 1925.

My invention relates to means and methods for governing'fluid systems, and isusei'ul tor numerous purposes, such as controlling fluid and many otherluses, too numerous to men tionhere. I v

Preventing overreaching and underreach= ing of controlling mechanisms is one of the principal objects of my invention. It is well known that appamtus now employed for such purposes as automatically controlling fluid flows, is subject to overreaching and underrcaching, always with deleterious and sometimes with disastrous results.

By my inventiomwhich relies for its operation upon well \known hydrostatic and hydraulic laws,'such overreaching and underreaching is avoided. Correct and :proper automatic control is secured.

Simplicity, rapidity of action and cheapness of construction are other objects of my invention. I These and other objects, aswell as the in-' vention itself, may be better understood from descriptions and illustrations of I embodiments of my invention.

In the drawings- 1 Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic View of an embodiment of my invention; and Fig. 2 is a similar view of a. second embodiment of my invention.

ler, wherein a flow entering'at 262 and passing through O can govern andmeasure a flow from S to the outlet Z Mea'ns are 'propressure outlet Z A circular chamber,

In Fig. 1 I have illustrated a flow control- Serial No. 576,2605 Divided and this application filed June 11, Serial No. 36,349.

O is equal to the pressure: on the approach side 2520f the venturi V Any dili'erence between these two pressures will be eilective in the mercurylevels of L and L lVe-will assume that the mercury displacement which is equal to the full motion of the valve 261 in either direction is the distance 257 for upward motion and 258 for dowinvardinotion. lVhen as much diii erenceoi pressure, as indicated by 257 or 258 exists, the valve 261 -will be wide open,-opera ting the piston 254- and the main throttle 255 very rapidly, as it may, because as rapid motion brings decreased difference of pressure, the valve 261 is gradually closed until when iinal equalityot pressure is reached, it is entirely closed and ready to make instant reversahif the pressures require, the diaphragm 260 having been under substantially equal pressures tl'iroughout, due to the cotuiterpressure built up by the marcury heads 257 or 258, or any partsof such heads corresponding to a departure from equality of the governed-and governing" pressures. I I I At 251 is'shown a source of fluid pressure. from which fluid flows through the duct 262,

through the orifice O and into the conduit 265 at the throat 253 of the venturi V A meter 266 may be placed in the duct-263 to measure the How thereofiwhich will be proportional to thefiows through the main 265, as is now well known.

The duct 265 leads I irom a source, not showmhere lndicated by the reference S through the venturi V1,, a I

main throttle .valve 255,;to a relatively low- Off 4101/ is formed about the conduit at the approach of the venturi and the entrance thereto covered by perforated screen252 Likewise, a circular chamber 253 and a screen 253 -Iare employed at the throat of the venturi. A duct 267 conveys pressure from the approach of the venturi to a cell 268 on one side of the diaphragm 260. A duct 269 conveys pressure from the throat side of the orifice O to a con- I tainer 270. A duct 271. connects a second container 272 with the cell 273 on-the other side of the diaphragm 260. I

The containers 270 and1272 areconnecte'd by a U-member 274. The parts27i), 272 and 27 4 constitute one form of a U-tube and con which is normally in each container .and the balance fills the, member 274c. The relative areas of the horizontal surface ofthe contain a quantity; of mercury 275, a part'of 'tainers maybe varied to suit the convenpiston is mounted in a cylinder 27 7, to which are connected two ducts 278 and 27 9. The

duct 278 enters the cylinder 277 at a port 280 and the duct 279 enters the cylinder-27.7 at.

a port 281. The ports are shown one at each end or" the cylinder.

The valve chamber of the valve 261 is shown at 282. The valve 261 consists of a spoolshaped valve normally closing the ports 283 and 284 wherethe ducts 273 and 279 respectively enter the valve chamber. A duct 285 connects a source of operating pressure 250 with the central. portion of the valve chamber and a duct 286 connects each end of the valve chamber with some outlet of lower pressure, such as S to maintain a constant pressure on the two ends of the waste from 201 or 283. I

When the pressure on the approach side of 0 changes, the pressure over the surface L of the column of mercury in the contaii'ier 270 will be changed and the pressure will be transmitted through the mercury and the confined water over same'to the bottom of the diaphragm 260. The position-ct the valve 2.61 will be changed, admitting lluid from the source 250 to one of the ducts 278 or 270 and thence to the piston cylinder 277 and exerting a'pressure over or under the piston, as the case may be, thereby operating the valve 255 at a speed proportional to the amount of movement of the valve 201. Tater will flow to waste from the other side of the piston chamber through theother end or the ducts 278 or 279, as the case may be, through the valve chamber, the duct 286, into the conduit 265. As this movement continues, the'level of. the mercury in the containers 270 and 272 will he gradually restored, since by the time the parts have been moved. to the desired position to correct for the increase in pressure on the approach side of O that is, when the valve 255 has been moved to vary the flow through 265 so that it will be proportional to the flow 262 as a result of the change in flow through 262, the opposition of the longer of the two columns of mercury in the U-tube to the shorter will have brought the. system to a halt, by restoring the mercury surit'aces to level and the pilot valve 201 to neutral, thereby preventing any overi' eriching, or it the operation is inthe reverse direction, any

underreaching.

in shape and capacity as to provide tor, each particular case. r

i Referring now to the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, a source of fluid pressure, such as a fluid conduit under pressure, is shown at S,

valves, and permit It will be. readily appre ciated that the containers may be so Vfllflfiil' outlets, as at Z,, and in which it is desired to maintain a constant pressure while supplying said fluctuating demand. S and Y, are "connected by ducts 310, 311 and a valve chamber I in which a valve 301 is housed controlling a port 312 in the passageway of fluid from thesource to the outlet. Ducts 313 and 314lareprovided to conduct an equal fluid pressure to each end of the valve. The valveis connected. by suitable means, such as stems 315 and 317 to a movablemember, here shown 7 as a vibratile diaphragm 300 mounted inside a chamber310.

The diaphragm is constantly pressed or biased upwardly by some suitable means, such as a biasingweight 119 suspended from the lever 318, pivoted at 319, by some suitable means, such as a hanger 320,-suspended from the chamber 310.

the weight is connected. As will be seen, the weight constantly endeavors to open the'valve 301 and increase the flow through Y,. The upper portion of the chamber 316 is connected by-a duct 323 to a tube 303, which is associated with a secondshown at 326, normally rising to a level 11 in the tubes. Thespace consisting of the portion of the chamber 310'over the diaphragm 300, the tube 323 and the upper portion of the tube 303 is filled with light liquid, such as water, the surface of the mercury in such tube. The pressure in the system Y, reacting through the mercury U-tube 302, 32 i, 303 and the intervening water filling the space from L to the upper side of diaphragm 300 must be sutlicient to counterbalancethe upward thrust of the weight 119 against the diaphragm 300. For any given weight 119'a certain pressure P, acting over diaphragm 300 will be re quired, and is substantially the pressure at which this system Y is to be maintained.

Assume that the valve 301 is closed when the mercury stands at the level L in the tubes 302 and303, in which case the pressure P mustequal the pressure P acting through tube 325 upon the surface of the mercury' in the tube 302. Now if draft is made from Y until P is less than P by the mercury head 1),, (we will assume that this corresponds to the full opening of the valve 30l,-and therefore, to maximum possible corrective efi ect the valve 301 will be opened wide; If. this effect builds any increase in pressure P it will be reflected by a corres iionding decrease in D and a corresponding closure of valve a relatively 7 JA stem 321 connected to one side ot the diaphragm engages the end 322 ot the lever opposite the end upon which which engages 301. There is, therefore maintained a pressure in Y which will equal P plus I) when the valve 301 is wide open and P when the valve 301 is fully closed, and since the variationD can be made as much or as little as desired to correspond with the full extent ot the valve motion of the valve 301, the pressure P, can he maintained to within ust as close limits as may be desired, and still maintaindefinite valve motion for definite pressure changes withln such limits.

It will be seen that when the surfaces of I the mercury in 302 and 303 occupy different elevations with respect to each other, the amount of mercury driven from one tube to the other vacates a space which is occupied in the tube thus partly vacated by water, so that the resistance of the column of mercury, wh1ch is increasing 1n height to further change, increases more and more as its height is increased, thus acting to prevent over and underreaching. It will also be seen that the amount of water filled into the closed spaces between the diaphragm 300 and the, mercury surface L regulates the position of the valve at diflerent positions of the difference of mercury level D thus giving easy adjustment by its regulation to the position oi? the valve 301 in relation to the position of the diaphragm 300 and the mercury pressure D.

This application is. a division "from, and

continuation of my previously filed co-pen'd ing application Serial No. 576,260 filed July 20, 1922, which is a division of my previously filed application Serial'No. 251,662, filed August 27, 1918, and in part a re filing of claims covering certain inventions disclosed therein.

1. In a fluid flow controller, a source of fluid under pressure, a conduit, a valve controlling the flow oii' fluid from said source to said conduit, said conduit having a reservoir portion and a discharge portion, the discharge portion offering higher resistance to fluid flow than the reservoir portion, an element responsive to fluid pressure to effect the operation of said valve, a duct for communicating fluid pressure from said reservoir portion to said element, biasing means exerting a constant force against said element to oppose the force of the communicated fluid pressureand a body of liquidrof higher specific gravity 1 than the fluid from said source trapped. in said duct, the body of heavier l quid comprising two portions connected bya flow restricting passage of relatively higher resist-i anee to fluid flow than the portions of the duct containing such trapped liquid body portions. v 4 a q 2. In a fluid flow controller, a source of fluid under pressure, a conduit, a valve contl'OlllhgtllE flow of fluid from said source to said conduit, said conduithaving a reservoir p and a body'oi liquid of higher specific gravity than the fluid from said source trapped in said duct, said element adapted to increase the flow of fluid through thevalve upon decreases of fluid pressure communicated to it by saidduct below the opposing pressure exerted by saidbiasing means.

3. The process of regulating a fluid pressure 'con1pr1s1n the introduction of a body of a heavier liquidj between two lighter bodies of fluid non-miscible therewith, communicating pressure from a first of the bodies of lighter fluid to a movable element, communicating a counter-balancing standard pressure thereto, and in controllingthe fluid pressure of the second body by movements of the elen'ient from a neutral position Wherein the opposing pressures act thereon withequal eflect, and in dampening movements oil? the interposed heavier liquid,

1. In a fluid system, the comb'nation with a fluid. conduit for passing a flow to be regu lated, a U-tube with a pair of upright arms with a relatively restricted fluidpassage join ing them at their bottom portions containing a liquid, non-miscible with the fluid of said flow, a duct for communicating pressure'of fluid of the conduit to the upper surface of the liquid in. one of the arms, means for'varying the pressure of fluid in said conduit, said means actuatable responsive to variations in level of liquid in the other arm to so vary the pressure in the conduitias to restore or tend" to restore'the' liquid levels to normal levels, and a weight or the like for sa1d means opposing theefl'ects of liquid. level variations in one directionfrom normal, with agoverning force, said passage oii'er ng such resistance to mid flow of liquid as to dampen the responsiveness of said means to the above recited eiiectsof variations ofpress'urein the conduit.

5. The fluid system as defined in substance in claim 4, characterized by theprovisionof a diaphragm or the like, exposed on one side, through the medium of a column or a fluid lighter in specific gravity than that in the U tube, to thepressure effects of variations in level ofliquid in the tube arn1s,and weighted to oppose variations of such pressure eflects in one direction from a standard pressure. In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix' my signature this 30th day of May, 1925.

' cnonen e. EARL; 

